1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to data communications. In particular, the invention relates to a novel and improved method, network server and computer program for determining advertisement information relating to map information.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet and especially the World Wide Web have become popular as a provider of different services. Many service providers provide their services via electronic commerce or via other types of services. One of the many services provided via the World Wide Web is a map service.
A typical map service is an interactive service with which a user is able to access map information on desired geographical locations. Examples of the map services include a route finder (from a location A to B) and an address finder (a specific location).
Since the World Wide Web is a world wide service, it offers an exceptionally powerful way to convey information. It also offers many ways for advertising different services or products. The advertising of services or products has also been combined with many map services provided via the World Wide Web.
An example of such map services is the Yahoo Maps. In the Yahoo Maps outside the map area (e.g. below the map) is shown one or more advertisement icons. The icons shown are typically selected from a set advertisement based on different criteria, e.g. an advertising contract. When a user clicks on an advertisement and when the current map is scaled so that the map area currently shown to the user does not include the location of the service provider of the clicked advertisement, the map automatically scales to a scale in which that includes also one or more geographical locations of the services provider.
Although there are many map services that combine advertisements to the provided map information, the use of the advertisements is not optimal.